Valeri to miss Jets clash as Victory look to build Geelong fan base

Melbourne Victory will still be without captain Carl Valeri for its traditional once-a-year game in Geelong on Saturday night when the champions host the team they defeated in last year's grand final, Newcastle, at GMHBA Stadium.

Valeri, who lifted the A-League trophy aloft in the Hunter Valley last May after his team's controversial victory over the Jets, is still battling to recover from the hamstring injury he sustained at the start of the month against Central Coast.

Carl Valeri.Credit:AAP

The veteran had hoped to be in contention for this game, but his absence has allowed coach Kevin Muscat to ease back Spanish midfielder Raul Baena into the team and also give former Melbourne City youngster Anthony Lesiotis game time.

Victory have played a number of A-League games at the ground traditionalists know as Kardinia Park in recent seasons, as well as an Asian Champions League qualifier against Thai club Muangathong in February 2014.

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Crowds have been variable - the game with Central Coast last January proved disappointing when only 8370 attended - but the champions are expecting a bigger roll up for Saturday night's game despite competition from the nearby Avalon Airshow and a rock concert headlined by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers at the town's Mt Duneed Estate.

An interesting sideline to Victory's continued bid to grow the Geelong market is the fact that newly-established A-League side Western United intends to use the same venue as its home ground for its first few campaigns in the A-League, which it is due to enter next season.

Western has long term plans to base itself at Tarneit, near Werribee in the City of Wyndham, when it completes its own 15,000-capacity purpose-built soccer stadium.

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But that is not due to come on stream until the club's third season - 2021/22 - and it has earmarked Geelong's premier stadium to be its home from home until then.

Victory will not give up its toehold in its fledgling rival's target market easily, however.

Chief executive Trent Jacobs explained that the club, the A-League's best supported, had already invested time and effort in the region and did not want to see that go to waste.

"This will be our fifth A-League game in Geelong and we have worked very hard to build strong connections with the community in the city and the region around it," he said.

"We have got a number of corporate partners - Worksafe, KFC, TAC - with interests in that area and we certainly intend to continue building relationships with the city."

Maurice Bisetto, the CEO of Western United, said talks were still going on with the Kardinia Park trust over the final details of a tenancy deal for the new A-League team but he was optimistic that it would yield a positive outcome.

But he had a cheeky suggestion for their AAMI Park-based rivals.

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"I would not be expecting Victory to change their approach," he said.

"My only point of view would be that it would be good to see them make the home game they play in Geelong against us."

*Valeri will not be Victory's only absentee against the club coached by former Victory boss Ernie Merrick. German centre back Georg Niedermeier, who was sent off against Melbourne City last weekend, is suspended.

City has also got its suspension problems, with first-choice centre half Bart Schenkenveld and marquee man Ritchie De Laet also banned from their game at AAMI Park on Sunday against league leaders Perth Glory. Centre back Harrison Delbridge will miss through injury.